3 Nephi 10

I think it significant that after using an analogy during His mortal life, the Lord said to them of the Americas -

"O ye people of these great cities which have fallen, who are descendants of Jacob, yea, who are of the house of Israel, how oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have nourished you." (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 10:4)

And then to this people -

"...how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, who have fallen; yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell at Jerusalem, as ye that have fallen; yea, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not." (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 10:5)

And then, as if to all people, including our day -

"O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart." (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 10:6)

The analogy is clear that he is willing and waiting with all the desire of a willing parent, but the choice to be gathered and protected is us. And to be gathered and protected is conditional upon -

"...if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart." (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 10:6)

Which suggests that he will not deny our agency.

One last point. There seems to be some confusion as we read Mormon's record that -

"...it came to pass that in the ending of the thirty and fourth year, behold, I will show unto you that the people of Nephi who were spared, and also those who had been called Lamanites, who had been spared, did have great favors shown unto them, and great blessings poured out upon their heads, insomuch that soon after the ascension of Christ into heaven he did truly manifest himself unto them—" (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 10:18)

It is clear that -

"...in the thirty and fourth year, in the first month, on the fourth day of the month, there arose a great storm, such an one as never had been known in all the land." (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 8:5)

There is no question in my mind that this event took place as the Savior suffered upon the cross. But then Mormon records that great favors and blessings were giving in the ending of the thirty and fourth year but then adds that the Savior manifested himself to them soon after His ascension.

I believe this is two different events. The first being that he appeared shortly after His ascension. There is no question that this must have been shortly after all the destruction on the land because -

"...a great multitude gathered together, of the people of Nephi, round about the temple which was in the land Bountiful; and they were marveling and wondering one with another, and were showing one to another the great and marvelous change which had taken place." (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 11:1)

If it was a year later, I doubt a great multitude would be gathered marveling and showing one another the changes. The second event would suggest that great favors and blessings followed the visit of the Savior even to the point that they became quite obvious at the end of the year. I personally feel that that this demonstration was the great conversion and faithfulness of many on the face of the land.